Massena Moonlight Run 2009

Winery: Massena

Region: Barossa

Australia is known around the world for the high quality of its flavorful Shiraz wines, and Barossa Valley, near the city of Adelaide is surely the home of the finest Shiraz grapevines in the country. The first vineyards in the Barossa Valley were established in the late 19th century by German settlers, however today there are dozens of high quality and unique businesses operating in the region, making the most of the temperate continental climate the valley enjoys, and producing a wide range of wines made from various grape varietals. Whilst Shiraz grapes thrive particularly well in this part of Australia, there are now vineyards in Barossa Valley growing all kinds of red and white grape varietals, and showing a real flair for flavor, aroma and complexity brought about by a strong mix of traditional and modern techniques.

Country: Australia

Whilst most of Australia consists of arid deserts and dense bushland, the oceanic coasts to the south of the country have a terrain and climate ideal for vine cultivation and wine production. It took several decades of failed attempts at the end of the 18th century in order to produce vines of a decent enough quality for making wine, but since those first false starts, the Australian wine industry has continued to grow and grow. Today, wine production makes up for a considerable part of the Australian economy, with exports in recent years reaching unprecedented levels and even overtaking France for the first time ever. Whilst the greatest successes in regards to quality have been the result of the Syrah grape varietal (known locally as Shiraz), Australia utilizes several Old World grapes, and has had fantastic results from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay and more. As the Australian passion for locally produced wine continues to develop, wineries have begun experimenting with a wider range of grape varietals, meaning that nowadays it isn't uncommon to find high quality Australian wines made from Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Viognier, amongst many others.